A Michigan man is behind bars after allowing his bedridden elderly father to dehydrate to death, Wolverine State law enforcement say.

Michael Stirling, 51, faces one count each of involuntary manslaughter , vulnerable adult abuse , and habitual offender – with a second offense notice, according to the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office.

The defendant's father, James Stirling, 77, died sometime in the fall of last year, authorities allege. His death was ruled a homicide caused by dehydration, according to the local medical examiner's office.

The investigation, however, took several months. The younger Stirling was arraigned at the 41B District Court in nearby Clinton Township on Wednesday before being turned over to a mental health facility.

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